Jhon Wlaschin, adjunct psychology professor at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, recently published an op-ed in the Pioneer Press on the topic of the proposed TikTok ban and concerning data practices that affect personal and social psychology.
From the article:
Over months and years, the app collects and aggregates billions – if not trillions – of data points from its users. These include not only explicit interactions such as likes, shares and comments but also subtle behaviors like viewing duration, location tracking, device usage patterns, and inferred emotional states. This continuous accumulation of data provides a comprehensive and detailed portrait of an individual’s personality, preferences, habits, and potential vulnerabilities.
With the integration of artificial intelligence, this vast dataset becomes a powerful tool for predicting and influencing behavior at both the individual and societal levels. The precision and scope of such behavioral modeling could have far-reaching consequences, including the identification of systemic vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.
